Importance of "pre-habilitation" to avoid knee injuries in young athletes

A 2014 article in the medical journal Pediatrics summarized the current research and has concluded that a specific exercise routine, known as neuromuscular training, greatly reduces the risk of knee injuries in young female athletes.

This neuromuscular training routine has been coined "Pre-habilitation" because it is performed before and throughout the sporting season. The comprehensive research results have shown a reduction in Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) tears by 72 per cent, thereby avoiding surgery and/or a prolonged rehabilitation. The ACL is one of four major ligaments that stabilize the knee. There has been an increase in the number of ACL injuries over the past 20 years, with the rate being higher for females compared to males within similar sports. Interestingly, the majority of ACL injuries occur without any external contact by another player.

The risk of ACL injury in athletes sharply increases at adolescence (12-13 years old for girls; 14-15 years old for boys), with girls having a significantly higher risk until adulthood. This occurs because of what is called a 'motor-machine mismatch', where the body is growing faster then what the neuromuscular system can control it. Anatomical differences also contribute to increased risk for girls, and boys appear to be partially protected because of increased testosterone at puberty which accelerates muscle growth and strength.

An ACL injury, with or without surgery, will require many months of rehabilitation, and can be very disruptive to a young person due to time lost from school and sports. According to local Orthopaedic Surgeon, Dr. Stephen Sohmer, a young athlete with a complete ACL tear will almost certainly require surgery in order to return to sporting activity. An untreated ACL tear increases the risk of irreversible damage to other knee structures, and premature arthritis later in life. He supports pre-activity training programs for all young athletes in order to prevent an ACL tear in the first place.

Neuromuscular training works by preparing the body to perform sport specific movements in a way that reduces risk of injury during pivoting, landing, or unexpected loading of the knee. This is particularly relevant to any athlete that plays a sport requiring sprinting, pivoting, cutting, jumping, or landing (such as soccer, volleyball, lacrosse, football, baseball, or basketball).



via-http://www.courierislander.com/sports/local-sports/research-supports-pre-habilitation-to-avoid-knee-injuries-in-young-athletes-1.1202129

Athletic performance improved even after deception revealed

Indiana University researchers say a little deception caused cyclists in their 4-kilometer time trial to up their performance even after they realized they had been tricked.

The findings support the idea that the brain plays a powerful role in how hard athletes push their bodies.

"The idea is that there's some sort of governor in your brain that regulates exercise intensity so you don't overheat, or run out of gas, so to speak," said Ren-Jay Shei, a doctoral student in the IU School of Public Health-Bloomington. "In this case, the governor was reset to a higher upper limit, allowing for improved performance."

For the study, 14 trained, competitive male cyclists participated in four time trials. For each session, they rode cycle ergometers, which are stationary bikes that measure such variables as speed and power output and display the readings on computer monitors on the handlebars.

For the full research, visit-

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/277537.php

Chronic Lack of Sleep- A Factor to Increase Sports Injuries in Adolescent Athletes

Chronic lack of sleep is associated with increased sports injuries in adolescent athletes.

Check the following link to find out the research done to find how chronic lack of sleep is associated with the increased sports injuries in adolescent athletes.

http://journals.lww.com/pedorthopaedics/Fulltext/2014/03000/Chronic_Lack_of_Sleep_is_Associated_With_Increased.1.aspx?utm_source=exacttarget&utm_medium=email&utm_term=ArticleTitle2&utm_content=j11&src=Week%2016%20-%20Hot%20Topics%20-%20Orthopedics&et_cid=428829&et_rid=NSIC@AUSPORT.GOV.AU